The bill amends the Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act to establish stricter penalties for violations related to the disposal of industrial waste through land application. Specifically, it introduces a new subsection that mandates the Division of Environmental Quality to assess the maximum allowable penalty for each violation of a permit concerning industrial wastewater residuals. This includes violations that result in over-application or precipitation-related surface land application. The bill also defines "surface land application" as the spraying, spreading, or incorporating of waste onto the land, excluding injection methods.

Additionally, the bill directs the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission to initiate the process of creating a rule for no-discharge land application permits for industrial waste. Until this new rule is implemented, the Division of Environmental Quality is required to maintain existing processes and procedures for land application permits. This legislative change aims to enhance environmental protection and ensure compliance with waste management regulations.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1762 V2 - 4-3-2025 11:01 AM: 8-6-204(c), 8-4-203(c), 8-4-204, 04-03-2025, 8-4-205(b)
Old version HB1762 V3 - 4-9-2025 11:04 AM: 8-4-103, 8-6-204(c), 8-4-203(c), 8-4-204, 8-4-205(b)
Old version HB1762 V4 - 4-14-2025 05:35 PM: 8-4-103
Old version HB1762 Original - 3-12-2025 02:51 PM: 8-6-204(c)
HB 1762: 8-6-204(c)
Act 1009: 8-4-103